Police to be out in triple force for holiday weekend
Officers give simple message - 'Don't drink and drive'
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Last year officers from the Ripley County Sheriff's Department arrested 88 people for driving while intoxicated. Last year in Indiana, 31 percent of all fatal crashes were attributed to alcohol, making the state fourth in the nation for its percentage of fatal alcohol-related crashes.

With the statistics on the books, officers from the sheriff's department have joined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stepping up their patrols for the Labor Day Weekend.

The blitz, designed to crack down on alcohol related crashes by the Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving, was originally set to take place at the end of June and over the July 4th holiday. Chief Deputy David Pippin of the RCSD noted that after the council calculated that more than 55 percent of fatal accidents occurred during the Labor Day Weekend previously, it was decided to put the focus on this holiday instead.

As the Labor Day Weekend approaches, people will try to get in the last blast of summer before what they know is inevitable...winter.

Officers say with the increase of traffic on the roads, there is the potential for impaired drivers and that leads to accidents-sometimes fatal ones. In 2002, more than half of fa
tal motor vehicle crashes that occurred could be attributed to alcohol consumption.

Deputies from the Ripley County Sheriff's Department will join hun
dreds of other officers across the state to participate in the a nationwide impaired driving enforcement campaign that is in full force and will continue through the holiday until September 12.

"This enforcement period gives us the opportunity to step up our presence in the community and send the message to drivers that impaired driving will not be tolerated," noted Sheriff Bill Davison.

The sheriff, who is a veteran officer, said he has seen his share of accidents on holidays, ones that could have been prevented if the driver hadn't been impaired with alcohol or drugs.

Statistics provided by the sheriff's department show that more than 17,000 motorists were killed in alcohol-related crashes in the United
States last year. In 2002, 269 motorists lost their lives on Indiana roadways as a direct result of alcohol-related accidents.

Sheriff Davison says his office operates under a zero tolerance policy when it comes to impaired driving and this holiday will be no exception. "Drivers need to understand that operating a vehicle about the legal limit is a serious crime that can cost money, time or even their lives," he noted, adding that the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for operation of a motor vehicle is 0.08. "Don't flirt with the legal limit. Just don't drink and drive," was the simple message the sheriff is conveying.

Drinking and driving also extends to any motor vehicle you might operate even a 4-wheeler on private property. The law is specific about motorized vehicles and includes any operated on land, air or sea. So, if you're on the river this weekend, remember the alcohol legal limit applies to you too.

"It's not an effort to ruin someone's holiday party - it's an effort to keep them alive," the sheriff concluded.

The Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving, a divi
sion of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, administers impaired driving and seat belt enforcement campaigns in Indiana. Money to employ additional officers at overtime pay does not come from local funds. It is provided through grants by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Last but not least, wear your seat belt this holiday and make it a habit. It's not an option, it's the law and it could save your life

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Pictured from left are Sgt. Randy Holt, Chief Deputy David Pippin and Sheriff Bill Davison of the Ripley County Sheriff's Department. These officers along with a number of others are participating in the increased statewide DUI crackdown that will continue through the upcoming Labor Day Weekend until September 12.